At a glance: reward and benefits headlines this week
The headlines you might have missed between 28 October - 3 November 2016.
Do CBI's plans risk "throwing the baby out with the bath water”?
HR Magazine: Experts weigh in on the Confederation of British Industry (CBI)'s maternity leave extension plans. Read story
8 tips to make your wellness programmes more fun
HR Grapevine: A true wellness culture stems from wellness programmes that truly engage and invigorate workers. Read story
Diamond tycoon lavishes staff with cars, flats & jewellery for Diwali bonus
HR Grapevine: Many employees in India receive small presents from their bosses such as boxes of sweets ahead of Diwali, the festival of light. But it’s not every day they're given jewellery, cars or even flats as gifts. Read story
Why did thousands of Icelandic employees leave work at 2.38pm?
HR Grapevine: On Monday at 2:38pm, thousands of Icelandic women left their workplaces and congregated in Austurvollur square in Reykjavik. Read story
82% will check an organisation’s benefits package when job hunting
Employee Benefits: More than three quarters (82%) of employee respondents will check an organisation’s benefits package when job hunting, according to research by Jobsite. Read story
66% feel they are most productive when working in the office
Employee Benefits: Two thirds (66%) of respondents believe they are most productive when based in the office, compared to 26% who feel they are most productive when working from home, according to research by office interior design organisation Peldon Rose. Read story
British Airways: Trustees were ‘inflexible’ and ignored advice
Professional Pensions: Trustees of a British Airways (BA) pension scheme have been described as “inflexible” after being accused of deliberately ignoring advice about the future of the scheme. Read story
Government rejects idea it gave ‘advice’ to pensioners at UK Atomic Energy Agency
Professional Pensions: The government has rejected the accusation it gave advice to former workers at the UK Atomic Energy Agency when it was privatised two decades ago. Read story
Smiths Industries Pension Scheme concludes £250m buy-in
Professional Pensions: The Smiths Industries Pension Scheme has concluded a £250m buy-in with Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC). Read story
Discrimination against working mothers costs businesses £280m a year
People Management: Employers pay the price of hiring new staff and lost productivity, finds EHRC, as CBI calls on government to extend statutory maternity leave. Read story
Aon sounds WRAC alarm on GIP
Corporate Adviser: Employers face significant cost increases for their group income protection policies if they do not prepare for big reductions in state benefits from next April warns Aon Employee Benefits. Read story
British Coal's green turn on payslips to net £400,000 a year
Pensions Expert: The British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme has opted to stop sending monthly paper payslips to its members from August 2017, saving the fund almost £400,000 a year. Read story
Many UK workers unhappy in their current jobs
Reward Guide: Better benefits and a 'thank you' from managers could make all the difference to productivity. Read story
Over half of workers lie about pre-booked holidays
Reward Guide: A new survey found that 59% of workers admit to lying about pre-booked holidays to secure best dates off work. Read story
Everton Football Club to pay all staff the living wage
Employee Benefits: Over the next three years, the football club will ensure that over 700 contractors receive a pay rise, which could amount to as much as an additional £2,000 a year. A further 250 casual and match-day staff will also receive a pay increase. Read story
Voluntary living wage rises to £8.45 an hour
Employee Benefits: The UK voluntary living wage has increased to £8.45 an hour, and the London living wage rate has risen to £9.75 an hour. Read story
Tribunal rules Uber drivers are entitled to workers’ rights
Employee Benefits: The London Central Employment Tribunal has ruled that Uber drivers are employed as workers and are entitled to the national minimum wage and holiday pay in a preliminary hearing. Read story
Post Office staff strike over closure of defined benefit pension scheme to future accrual
Employee Benefits: Post Office staff who are members of trade unions Unite and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) are taking part in strike action in a dispute over the closure of the organisation’s defined benefit (DB) pension scheme to future accrual and potential job losses. Read story
Uber faces £12m annual pensions bill following employment ruling
Professional Pensions: Uber and other 'gig economy' businesses face significant pension bills following an employment tribunal ruling on Friday. Read story
Sick pay faces overhaul under government plans
People Management: Review into disability and long-term sickness suggests need for greater flexibility over returns to work; ‘fit note’ regime also likely to change. Read story
Govt calls on GIP industry to make case for incentives
Corporate Adviser: The Government has launched a green paper calling for better take-up of income protection insurance amongst employers and asking the industry to develop new products tailored to the needs of smaller firms. Read story
Fletchers Solicitors embeds core values in benefits strategy to engage staff with business goals
Employee Benefits: Over the last two years, Fletchers Solicitors has grown from 90 employees to more than 340. To support this growth and engage staff with the organisation’s values and goals, Fletchers has defined its core values and developed a reward and benefits strategy that embodies and celebrates these. Read story
Cambridge City Council and Ikea named living wage champions 2016
Employee Benefits: Cambridge City Council and Ikea are among the organisations who have won a Living Wage Champion Award 2016, in recognition of their efforts in implementing, promoting and celebrating the voluntary living wage in their respective regions. Read story
47% believe flexible working hours can reduce workplace stress
Employee Benefits: Just under half (47%) of respondents believe that the introduction of flexible working hours would help to reduce workplace stress, according to research by Cascade HR. Read story
The highest paid UK jobs of 2016
HR Grapevine: New figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), courtesy of its Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2016, have found the ten jobs with the highest pay this year - The Guardian reports. Read story
British Airways: APS trustees wanted scheme to be in deficit
Professional Pensions: Trustees of the Airways Pension Scheme (APS) believed it would be a “lost opportunity” if the scheme ran a surplus, a lawyer for British Airways (BA) has argued. Read story
One-third of over 40s would consider DB to DC transfers to access pension freedoms
Professional Pensions: Nearly one-in-three retirement savers would consider transferring final salary pension benefits to defined contribution schemes, latest research shows. Read story
‘4 per cent inflation’ to hit pensions
Corporate Adviser: Consumer price inflation will peak at around 4 per cent in the second half of 2017, impacting real disposable income and putting further pressure on defined benefit pension schemes, experts predict. Read story
UK workers with mental health problems contributed £226bn to UK GDP last year
Cover Magazine: Research released today by Mental Health Foundation and Unum reveals that people with mental health problems deliver significantly more value than costs for the UK economy. Read story
Sky and Vodafone awarded for gender diversity and family-friendly policies
Employee Benefits: Lloyds Banking Group, Sky and Vodafone were among the organisations recognised for their family-friendly policies and support for gender diversity at the annual Workingmums.co.uk Top Employer Awards on 1 November 2016. Read story
75% do not have a policy to manage employee stress
Employee Benefits: Three quarters (75%) of employer respondents do not have a policy in place to manage stress, according to research by Jelf Employee Benefits. Read story
48% take steps to discourage presenteeism
Employee Benefits: Around half (48%) of employer respondents have taken steps to discourage presenteeism, according to research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Simplyhealth. Read story
British Airways: Trustees hid benefits increase decision from company and TPR
Professional Pensions: Trustees of the Airways Pension Scheme (APS) deliberately kept their decision to increase benefits by 0.2% above the Consumer Price Index (CPI), a lawyer for British Airways (BA) has claimed. Read story
TPR needs more powers to intervene in complex cases
Professional Pensions: The Pensions Regulator (TPR) should have more powers to intervene in complex cases according to a panel speaking at this morning’s Work and Pensions Committee meeting. Read story
Workers at AWE vote overwhelmingly for strike action over pensions
Professional Pensions: Workers at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) have voted overwhelmingly for strike action over the company’s plans to close its defined benefit (DB) scheme. Read story
TPR launches enforcement action against Sir Philip Green and Dominic Chappell
Corporate Adviser: The Pensions Regulator has launched enforcement action against Sir Philip Green and Dominic Chappell, to seek redress on behalf of 20,000 members of the BHS pension schemes. Read story
Staffcare’s Hollingdale joins Sammedia board for EB push
Corporate Adviser: Staffcare founder Phil Hollingdale is joining the board of aggregation software provider Sammedia to help it develop its workplace proposition Read story
Will tribunal judgment force Uber to auto-enrol its drivers?
Pensions Expert: Two Uber drivers have been deemed workers who are employed by the taxi app, in a tribunal judgment released last week that could set a precedent for the auto-enrolment of gig economy workers. Read story
Goodman Masson takes an innovative approach to employee benefits
Employee Benefits: With an employee base that consists mainly of sales-related roles, Goodman Masson recognises the importance of offering a varied benefits package in order to retain and motivate staff. Read story
FTSE 350 defined benefit pension deficit falls to £149bn
Employee Benefits: The accounting deficit of defined benefit (DB) pension schemes for the UK’s largest 350 listed organisations fell from £152 billion at the end of September 2016 to £149 billion on 31 October 2016, according to research by Mercer. Read story
38% would feel valued if given their chosen Christmas perk
Employee Benefits: More than a third (38%) of respondents would feel valued by their organisation if they received their chosen Christmas perk, according to research by Sodexo Benefits and Rewards Services. Read story
BA trustees: Advisers did not succumb to pressure
Professional Pensions: Advisers to the Airways Pension Scheme (APS) did not succumb to pressure from trustees to deliver a framework in favour of discretionary increases, the board’s barrister has argued. Read story
British Airways: Trustees went ahead with second increase after TPR warnings
Professional Pensions: British Airways’ (BA) scheme trustees approved a second discretionary increase above the rate of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) despite warnings from the regulator, the company’s lawyer has claimed. Read story
Employers need to do more to tackle stress
Reward Guide: A quarter of people have taken time off work with stress but blamed it on a physical illness. Read story